OMNIfication...Part 3
By Tracy Clark - Executive Vice President, Corporate DevelopmentThe Warrior Spirit
In 1776, a British army occupied Boston. The fledgling Continental Army was no match to attack the British, as not only were they untrained, they had very little armament resources. It would take ingenuity, and hard work to ever move the British from Boston. The British army and their ruthless Hessian mercenaries were the greatest military force in the world at the time and the patriots dug in around them were farmers, hotel owners, Quakers, frontiersmen, and some beer brewers. Two of Washington's generals did not even have a military background- Nathanial Greene was Quaker frontiersman, and John Knox was a book seller. Yet, because "they didn't know any better", they stood up to a tyrant and the world's foremost power. So, here they were dug into the landscape around Boston as winter approached, while their adversaries were comfortable and well supplied in the city.
John Knox had the outrageous idea to make a trek hundreds of miles through icy rivers and snow to retrieve guns from Fort Ticonderoga to fortify Washington's militia and troops. This was an impossible feat for any outside observer, but George Washington listened to the idea. Evaluating his situation, and the determination of Knox, he gave the go ahead to the crazy plan. John Knox and his men worked tirelessly and ingeniously and arrived 2 months later with 20 cannons from the wayward fort. Amazingly, the patriots, under the cloak of night, hauled those guns up steep frozen slopes to Dorchester Heights, a dominant position overlooking Boston.
Throughout the night 2000 thousand men dug trenches and gun emplacements quietly while their British adversaries slept contentedly. At daybreak, as other American militiamen moved into position, the British could scarcely believe their eyes. General Howe, the British commander was quoted as saying… "My God, these fellows have done more work in one night, than I could make my army do in three months". The British engineer estimated that it must have taken 15,000 men to accomplish the feat, yet it was accomplished by a very tired 2000 Americans. Obviously, in a precarious position, the British army abandoned Boston, and gave General George Washington his first victory in the revolution that changed the world.
These Patriots did not know the rules of war, but they had the warrior spirit. They did not rely on conventional beliefs, nor did they have formal warfare training, but they would not be denied victory! That spirit is contagious and can cause ordinary people to achieve extraordinary results. Washington did not have the resources or the educational stature of his British counterparts, but he used what he did have, the resourcefulness and spirit of the American. They simply worked harder and smarter than their enemy, and believed the impossible.
The last installment of our discussion of OMNIfication is the Warrior Spirit. Simply put hard work and a strong desire for achievement is the mold in which successful companies are forged. Our competitors may have more resources, a better brand awareness, and more locations, but we can work harder, smarter and more efficiently as individuals. There are many circumstances in life that we cannot control, but make no mistake; the one critical element to achievement that we do control is our work ethic. Hard work is the core of warrior spirit and it is the underpinning of the success of OMNI. The employees and management team roll up their sleeves at every level and do whatever needs to be done, and I appreciate the effort you give every day. Your work ethic verifies that OMNI is a "blue collar" company to its core. At the end of each day, I want you to be able to say:
- I worked hard,
- I listened well to my fellow employees and was open to new ideas,
- I strived to apply not only my own knowledge, but the input of those around me, and
- My attitude and behavior reflects the core beliefs of the company's "Warrior Spirit".
Now, let's go seize the day.